Just about everyone loves some version of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles since they've been around in one form or another since the mid-'80s. But how many of us are fans of the short-lived 1997 live-action show Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation?
If you're raising your hand, you're about to be in luck, as IDW Publishing is bringing back that show's somewhat controversial original character Venus de Milo - the first female member of the TMNT.
Modern readers are well aware of Jennika, the female turtle who has been a recurring character in the core TMNT title as well as in a number of starring limited series. But over two decades ago, she was beaten to the team by Venus, who pretty much existed only in The Next Mutation, a show which received tepid reviews from fans and critics alike, lasting only a single 26-episode season.
Now, IDW is bringing Venus back with a revival in the finale of the current arc of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ongoing series, March 19's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #127, with a subsequent spotlight in IDW's TMNT Free Comic Book Day release.
According to IDW's announcement, the TMNT will discover Venus in the laboratory of the mysterious Doctor Barlow - and judging by TMNT series artist Pablo Tunica's cover for TMNT #127, Barlow's experiments with grafting new body parts onto mutants may be where Venus' new origins lie.
"I'd been trying to make a Venus comeback happen for a while, and I almost can't believe it's finally happening!” states Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles writer Sophie Campbell (who also provides the Venus character art seen here).
Campbell has been writing TMNT for two years and is the writer who initially turned Jennika, a previously established character, into a mutant turtle herself.
Stay on top of everything coming up for Leo, Donny, Mikey, and Raph with our guide to all the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics planned for release in 2022 and beyond.
